Following a sold-out WIP in NYC, Viv Ford makes her Fringe debut. It’s 2015 and one Bitcoin is $250 (now $65,000). Viv lands in San Francisco to work in tech and needs a place to live. Enter the Crypto Castle: a five-bed house with 14 crypto bros. What could go wrong? Swept into a world where dropouts become millionaires overnight, she wants a piece of it and discovers just how much she’s willing to compromise to become one of them. *A true story where names have been changed to avoid getting sued.

Ahead of their Fringe Debut, Viv Ford chats about their run their run of New Kids On The Blockchain at Just The Tonic At The Mash House

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Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?

When I tell you I lived in a castle for four years, I’m not lying! But, it’s also probably not the traditional castle you’re thinking of. Viv Ford: New Kids on the Blockchain is the comedic true story of me moving to San Francisco at age 22 to work in tech. This was back in 2015 when every kid with a million dollar idea was also running to San Francisco so the housing search was very messy. Believe it or not, the best option I could find was a house called the Crypto Castle. I moved in and quickly found myself in the middle of 14 crypto bros who were my flatmates. I was the only girl, and the only one who didn’t care about crypto.

Not only did the crypto bros believe deeply in the future of crypto, they also believed more in technology than in people. They would be very content to live forever with their AI girlfriends and surrounded by bitcoin, even if it meant they couldn’t speak to another human ever again.

With every month that passed, bitcoin’s price kept going up. So, all of a sudden, I had to ask myself the simple question…were these guys right about the future?

As crypto became more and more popular, these boys became wealthier and worse versions of themselves. And I changed too. I wanted in. I wanted a piece of it all.

This show is for people who hate crypto, love crypto, or don’t care about it at all. It tackles some bigger questions like, who is actually building the future of our world and should we be worried? Plus, if you have any questions about crypto, I’m happy to help (note it’s not investment advice!).

Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?

The creative team is comprised of myself and my director, Elizabeth Bennett. Like most art projects, the idea was born years before anything was actually put to paper. When I left the Crypto Castle in 2019, I knew I wanted to create something about the experience. But I got distracted. I spent 2020 living outside, working on farms, and teaching folks about bitcoin (24 countries, 37 covid tests!). When I returned, everyone and their mother said, “WRITE A BOOK.” The start of the book started with the Crypto Castle and every publisher I spoke to said the same thing: every woman travels and finds herself. We don’t care about that. Give us a tell-all on the Crypto Castle.

I said no. I didn’t want them having a tell-all and I realized the best way to tell the castle story was through a show. So I decided to get serious about writing it. Starting in January 2023, every morning, I sat my butt down at my desk for an hour. Six months later, I had a script I felt comfortable showing a director. I booked my first show in December and started working with Elizabeth right before my second show in January. We’ve met weekly for the past seven months to perfect the script. Since then, we have done the show in Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and several more times in New York. Elizabeth has a great ability to politely tell you to kill your darlings in a way where you think it was your idea. I don’t know how she does it but it’s quite the skill.

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How does it feel coming to the Fringe?

I’m so excited to break my Fringe cherry! My aunt brought her solo show to the Fringe many years ago and gave me a little insight into the hustle that is required to sell out your show. She was 60 years old at the time, screaming in a solo show for an hour. She said she had quite a few walkouts at the start but by the end, she was selling out. I love that story because it shows the true arc of the Fringe experience (I would imagine though I can’t confirm…yet!).

There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?

I’ve done a lot of research into this and I’m pretty darn sure it’s the only crypto and comedy show at Fringe this year. Certainly the only crypto and comedy show that is based off a real story about a place called the Crypto Castle.

All shows are deeply personal, but what really makes this show interesting is that, Viv, the character, is as interested and impressed with crypto as the audience is: that is to say not at all interested. I bring the audience on a true comedic journey of what I went through at the castle. And I hope my crypto bro chatacters are accurate. Goodness knows I have enough experience watching them.

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Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?

Ok…serious answer incoming. Be prepared.

I want people to understand the mindset driving many tech visionaries in Silicon Valley who are building our future. The world is getting increasingly complex, not just in terms of computational power, but in how we understand and interact with technology. While we’ve generally been able to grasp technological advances so far – for example, even if you don’t know how Google works technically, you know when it’s not working – it is becoming more and more challenging.

As we adopt more advanced technologies, our ability to understand how the world works will decrease. And this lack of understanding can potentially be weaponized against us.

Does that sound too ‘future doomer’? Well, the good news it that despite crypto’s reputation, it isn’t that complicated (yet). And more importantly, it’s hilarious! I hope audiences leave with a better understanding of this world, but also having had a good laugh about crypto.

And if they’re curious about Bitcoin by the end? Well, that’s a bonus!

Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?

Anyone under the age of 10 will likely not be into it, and anyone who lost a lot of money on shitcoins, like Dogecoin,  might find it a bit too close to home. But women between the ages of 25 to 40 who have found themselves in similar “frat-bro” situations will hopefully see themselves through me.

I would have said over the age of 70 wouldn’t be into it, BUT I just did a show in New York where my director walked into my dressing room before and said, “Ok it’s basically all people over the age of 70, so you’re going to need to enunciate and speak LOUDLY.” And guess what, those firecrackers loved the show and got all the jokes!

So while I do have a target audience in mind, part of the joy has been seeing how the show resonates with different generations. Shockingly, 70 year olds seem to be down to clown with the crypto jokes!

It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?

I’m going to try to be protective of my mornings. I’m a big cyclist (recently just finished a bicycle trip from Poland to Lithuania!) so I’m planning on renting a bike and going for lots of miles around the city.

In terms of shows, I’m very excited for Molly Brenner: Inhibited at The Stand. Molly is a hilarious comic who is running an hour solo show for the second half of Fringe. She’s a Fringe pro, coming off a great last year with her comedy show about orgasms. I’m also very excited for Man Up: A Show for Women! which is a talented team of women from New York that put on a news show where their host Chip Johnson (played by a woman in drag) is wonderfully rude. Man Up will be at C Arts.

In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?

In an ideal world, we’d zap away the monetary barriers that currently exist. I think this would improve performance opportunities and the industry as a whole. Unfortunately, life is expensive and you can’t just print money out of thin air (wait…I’m in crypto…maybe you can? I’m KIDDING! (must include for legal reasons)).

The financial hurdles are limiting for a lot of performers. I’ve thought a lot about money and art and their intersection (probably because I work in crypto). And I don’t know if there’s a perfect solution, but I believe we could explore more innovative funding models.

I won’t bore everyone about how I think blockchain could be used to support artists directly but rest assured, I’m thinkin’ about it.

And for the one-line answer, an ideal world would include, along with venue approval, a first class plane ticket!

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